One Year Ago Today

As I'm writing this, one year ago right now, Kerline and I were at the airport in Port-au-Prince for our departing flight to bring her home! Wow, a YEAR...


















Let's recap Kerline's first year with us:

*First day in the US, in Fort Lauderdale with my brother for our 8-hour layover. Firsts for Kerline included driving on the freeway, the MALL, escalators, elevators, water fountains, automatic toilets, Chinese food at the mall food court,spending the night in a hotel near San Francisco, driving near where I grew up on the airport shuttle, going out to breakfast.

*Four weeks in Oregon, busy with doctor's appointments, US passport application, SS number application (which didn't arrive until a little more than a month ago but that's another long, sordid tale), her baptism, getting to know the extended family by attending a memorial service for my uncle, seeing giant redwood trees (little did I know this scared her!), going to the beach and having to wear a jacket, watching Tonton Brandon almost drown in the river (much more hilarious than it sounds).

*Two weeks in Chicago and Wisconsin visiting Eugene's family, attending our nephew's wedding.

*Moving to Spain

*Summer day camp in a free youth program here with Yana and 28 boys...lol.

*Starting Catholic school in the equivalent of 10th grade, after only completing 6th grade in Haiti.

*Immersed in Spanish for the school day.

*Immersed in English at home.

*Bonding with a new family.

*Traveled to Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo and around Valencia, seeing historic and cultural sites from Roman, Muslim, Jewish and Christian Spain.

*Worshipping in a church with fellow Christians from all around the world.

*Living in a household of 11...at least the chaos of this place isn't much different than the chaos of the orphanage in Haiti.

Kerline's nickname evolution:

Kerline
=> Leeny
=> Leeny Weeny
=> Kerline-y Weeny Beeny
=> Kerline-y Weeny Beeny Fifteeny
=> Kerline-y Weeny Beeny Fifteeny Almost Sixteeny
=> Weeny Bopper
=> Weens

Can you believe she's taken all of this hubbub so well? We've had our moments (she is 15 after all), but overall she is just rolling with the punches and has adapted to it all very well. My prayer for her for the next year is to make Spanish friends, get comfortable speaking Spanish and to continue catching up in school. She will be repeating this grade again next year (whew) and she will be expected to participate more in subjects like Biology, Social Sciences and Ethics. Progress made and in the making! God is good.

Here's Weens at the Valencia Kite Festival just a couple of weeks ago.